Why the battles over bus and bike lanes have grown so fierce — and what it says about Toronto's streets
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CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Executive Committee backs plan to install priority transit lanes on Bathurst and Dufferin streets south of Bloor
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow's Executive Committee has approved a scaled-down plan to install priority transit lanes on Bathurst and Dufferin streets. The plan, which is part of the city's RapidTO network, would see transit lanes installed south of Bloor Street West on Bathurst and Dufferin Streets ahead of the FIFA World Cup next year. In the initial plan, priority lanes for buses or streetcars were also proposed north of Bloor to Eglinton Avenue West on Bathurst Street and to Wilson Avenue on Dufferin Street. But staff has said 'further consideration' of that section 'is proposed to be undertaken at a future time.' The changes came amid pushback from retailers along a stretch of Bathurst Street in The Annex, who said they would be negatively affected by the bus lanes, which may result in some businesses closing. Transit advocates, meanwhile, expressed disappointment over the watered-down plan, especially since staff did not indicate a specific timeline for when transit lanes north of Bloor on those two major roads would be implemented. As a result, during Wednesday's Executive Committee meeting, Mayor Olivia Chow introduced a motion asking city staff to work with her, local councillors, residents, businesses, and transit riders to develop implementation plans for bus lanes on Bathurst Street from Bloor to Eglinton Avenue and on Dufferin Street from Bloor to Wilson Avenue. Her motion also directs staff to report back on interim priority measures that can be implemented for the World Cup, including rush hour prohibitions, time-of-day use, loading zones, and HOV lanes. Ahead of the meeting, Mayor Chow said the RapidTO plans have been around since 2019 and 'it's time to take action,' voicing her support for the plan south of Bloor. 'Nothing has as large an impact as better public transit. The better way to tackle congestion is making sure there's a reliable and faster TTC service, so people take more transit than driving,' the mayor said. Chow added that the city could do better; thus, she wants staff to explore options for improving services north of Bloor ahead of the World Cup, while plans for priority transit lanes along that stretch are stalled. 'I want options,' the mayor said. 'A proper implementation of RapidTO means thousands of new riders on TTC. Less frustration.' Transit advocacy group TTCRiders celebrated the Executive Committee's approval of the transit lanes, saying, 'This is a win for transit riders.' The group also welcomed Chow's motion. 'We're pleased that Mayor Chow's amendment (commits) to clear timelines extending these lanes further north, fulfilling commitments made by her and other members of the Executive,' TTCRiders Executive Director Andrew Pulsifer said in a news release. Last year, council directed staff to accelerate RapidTO projects on Dufferin and Bathurst streets for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The city said construction for the transit lanes would begin in the fall and is expected to be finished before the start of the World Cup. According to the report, the implementation of the transit priority lanes on Dufferin and Bathurst is expected to cost $8 million. The plan now goes before city council for final approval.
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Toronto could see bus-only lanes on Dufferin and Bathurst streets ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Dozens of people lined up to debate the future of priority bus lanes at an executive committee meeting Wednesday, where city councillors ultimately voted to move forward with a plan to install bus-only lanes on Bathurst and Dufferin streets south of Bloor Street W. The Surface Transit Network Plan, dubbed RapidTO, is a city initiative with the Toronto Transit Commission that aims to implement the priority transit lanes. Previously, the RapidTO plan proposed the lanes extend up to Eglinton Avenue W. A scaled back version of the original plan was presented by city staff at the committee meeting Wednesday. But Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is hoping to revert the plan back to its initial design, recommending that the Dufferin Street bus-only lane continue all the way north to Wilson Station and the Bathurst Street bus-only lanes extend to Eglinton Avenue W. "Congestion is a problem in the city," Chow said at a news conference ahead of the meeting. "Nothing has as large an impact as better public transit." At the meeting, city staff reported the watered-down version of RapidTO would save five minutes in total on Dufferin Street and three minutes on the Bathurst Street bus route, making them 29 and 13 per cent faster, respectively. An estimated 6,000 people ride the Dufferin bus and 3,000 drive on the route during morning peak hours, staff said. If implemented, the plan could bring in up to 21,000 new riders, Chow added. Residents torn on the idea The vote to pass the motion came after hours of deputations, both in favour of and against the implementation of the priority traffic lanes. Protect Bathurst is a group of residents and business owners who oppose RapidTO developments. Spokesperson Paul Macchiusi says the figures aren't adding up and that there hasn't been enough consultation with the residents of the neighbourhoods where the lanes would be implemented. He also said the removal of parking spots for the bus-only lanes would impact business for local stores. Instead, Macchiusi suggested implementing high-occupancy vehicle lanes and turning restrictions during peak rush hours. Andrew Pulsifer, executive director of TTCRiders, a transit advocacy organization, says that is simply not true. "Transit users shop too. And I just can't imagine that bus lanes allowing more people to access your store would have that much of an impact on your sales," he said. For far too long, transit users have been placed on the back-burner, Pulsifer says. "Transit users do feel like they're being told 'no' a lot these days. No, you'll have to live with slow zones. No, overcrowding is just a fact of life. No, we can't afford to run buses more often," he said. Pulsifer and others supporting the motion are asking for clearer timelines on the mayor's motion to investigate the feasibility of bus-only lanes north of Bloor Street W. Many businesses say they need parking Councillors are just as divided as constituents. University-Rosedale Coun. Dianne Saxe, whose ward includes Bathurst Street, says she's spent time consulting with her community and a scaled back version of the original RapidTO plan is more beneficial. "It makes sense to try first just clearing the eastbound lane, which we can do with parking in turn changes, extending the no stopping zone, and see if that solves the problem," she said. Saxe added that there are 60 businesses on Bathurst Street between Bloor Street W. and Dupont Street. "They've made a pretty credible case to me that they need some access to parking and that at the moment there are very few options for them if there is no parking ever 24/7 on Bathurst," she said. But Davenport Coun. Alejandra Bravo, whose ward includes Dufferin Street, says she's also spoken to her residents and the vast majority believes bus lanes are a priority. "People being stuck on a bus that's moving an average of 10 km/h is really bad. It's bad politics, it's bad policy," she said Wednesday. "It's not [a] good use of public dollars. It's bad for the climate. And people get to work late, they get to school late. That's not good for the local economy either." Bravo and Saxe both made recommendations to the staff to look into safety concerns for pedestrians, loading zones and alternative parking. 300,000 visitors expected for 2026 FIFA World Cup The Toronto Region Board of Trade (TRBT) agrees, saying in a post on LinkedIn Tuesday that congestion is the top challenge facing the city. "We recommend that City officials revisit and expand the proposed #RapidTO plan to include a connection to Eglinton," the post read. It added that while businesses have raised concerns about the reduced car access, their main problem is, in fact, gridlock. "We must move forward with bold, evidence-based solutions to get people and goods moving efficiently along Toronto's vital arterial roads," TRBT's president and CEO Giles Gherson said. The motion to adopt priority-access lanes on Bathurst and Dufferin Streets will be presented at city council next week. If passed, Toronto could see bus and streetcar-only lanes ahead of the six 2026 FIFA World Cup games the city is hosting, which Chow says could bring in up to 300,000 visitors.
CTV News
10-07-2025
- CTV News
Toronto city staff scaling back plan to install dedicated transit lanes on Bathurst Street
Vehicles are seen lined up at the intersection of Bathurst and Dupont streets on May 27. (CTV News Toronto Chopper/photo) Toronto city staff are scaling back their plan to install dedicated bus lanes on Bathurst Street following pushback from several businesses. In a report going to the Executive Committee next week, staff are recommending that priority streetcar lanes be installed on Bathurst Street between south of Bathurst Station and Lake Shore Boulevard West, except for a segment from Nassau to Dundas streets due to construction at Toronto Western Hospital. Staff initially proposed that priority bus lanes be created in the northbound and southbound curb lanes of Bathurst Street from Bloor Street West to Eglinton Avenue West but that is no longer part of the plan. Now, staff say, 'Further consideration of the section between Eglinton Avenue West and Bathurst Station is proposed to be undertaken at a future time.' The changes come amid backlash from retailers along a stretch of Bathurst Street in The Annex, who said they would be negatively affected by the bus lanes, which may result in some businesses closing. The businesses were worried that curb lane access to parking, delivery, service, and renovation vehicles would be removed as a result of the transit lanes. The proposed measures for Bathurst are part of a city council-endorsed surface transit network plan called RapidTO, which aims to guide the study, evaluation, and delivery of several bus and streetcar improvement projects in Toronto. Last year, council directed staff to accelerate RapidTO projects on Dufferin and Bathurst streets for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. On Dufferin Street, staff are recommending that council approve the installation of bus lanes between Bloor Street West and Springhurst Avenue. They are also hitting pause on the creation of bus lanes between Bloor Street and Eglinton Avenue West at this time. The city said construction for the streetcar lanes would begin in the fall and is expected to be finished before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to the report, the implementation of the transit priority on Dufferin and Bathurst is expected to cost $8 million. There will be a total of 352 parking spaces that will be removed on the two streets as a result. With files from Joanna Lavoie
